El Tesoro

October 26, 2004, 12:00 am

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One of the lesser annoyances of living in Santa Fe is that occasionally one wants lunch at 3 or 4 pm, only to discover that most mid-day meal places close at 2. Thus non-stop service is one of the reasons for the enduring popularity of the El Salvadoran spot, El Tesoro. The other is the menu, which is expansive and yummy. It's not just lunch, either. There's a variety of breakfast standards, everything from potatoes with chile and cheese (papas con queso) to fresh fruit with yogurt. Each day also brings a breakfast special, anything from huevos to a corned-beef burrito (now that's fusion cuisine). But lunchtime draws the crowds from the Railyard district and beyond. A particular favorite, tacos de tuna, is a generous three-taco serving of succulent grilled tuna stuffed into corn tortillas with peppers, cheese, guac, black beans, salsa and light Chimayó rice. El Tesoro closes around dinnertime, but that's OK: You'll have leftovers.